Log

Killgrace Surviving Yvak

"I don’t care, Captain! I want them locked up,
not given tea and biscuits!" Cet increased audio reception to capture the
interesting conversation in the corridor outside. The soldiers guarding them
were obviously doing the same thing.

"Professor Dumont, we don’t have anywhere to lock
them up. This is a research base." The officer was under stress and
sounded it. Susan put a hand on Killgrace’s leg under the desk, tapping a
message out in Morse code. An apology. He ignored it. The interesting energy
emissions from the basement had resumed, and his scanners were occupied.

"There have to be secure facilities available,
Lieutenant."

"We’re on the outskirts of Manchester, ma’am. We could call the police -"

"I don’t want those two leaving the site!"

"The most secure facilities are in the
laboratories, Professor," another man said, as he joined them, and the Professor replied testily.

"I take your point, Captain. But we can’t just have two
civilians prying into our research. This entire base is under the Official
Secrets Act."

"Ma’am, so are they. That’s the head of Killgrace
Industries and his secretary in there. They’re a defence supplier."

"So espionage isn’t a problem when it’s
industrial espionage?"

"Professor Dumont, we still need to question
them. If there’s a problem we will handle it."

"Fine. I have work to do anyway. My experiments
don’t need this type of disruption." There was the faint click of heels on
a tile floor as she stalked away. After a pause the office door opened, and the
Captain came in, taking a seat opposite Susan and Cet. The Lieutenant followed him, closing the office door, and sat down to watch the proceedings.

"Mr Killgrace," the Captain said, in the
cheerful tone of a man watching his promotion prospects vanish, "I’m sure
we can clear this up." Killgrace ignored him. Dumont’s life-sign was
approaching the basement. If the actions of the human were creating the signal,
there was a high probability she would repeat it.

"If you check our credentials, you should find we
are cleared to a level suitable for this site." Susan said, obviously
realising Cet was not going to answer. Satisfied she would resolve the situation
adequately, Cet tuned the conversation out completely and focused on the energy
emissions from the basement. They had resumed shortly after Dumont entered, and
there was a high probability they represented a transportation device of some
kind.

The energy signal repeated, far stronger and
sustained. This close the Cull identified it immediately: a transport homing
signal for a long distance platform, set on receive. It began to access the
signal, seeking the control system, when the energy pulse was answered.
Something external had detected the signal and taken control, sending lifeforms
through to emerge in the basement.

It raised its defences on reflex as it
identified the lifeforms: Yvak heavy troopers. A secondary scan indicated
combat had been initiated in the basement. Human life-signs were blinking out
as the Yvak numbers increased to a full strike squad, clearly detectable even
through twenty feet of concrete shielding. Cet possessed the only weaponry in
the building capable of destroying a fully armoured Yvak, but engaging them
would destroy its long-term plans, revealing its own alien nature to the
military. Irrelevant, it decided. There was no more time to waste in
discussion. The humans were between it and its targets. If necessary they could
be removed after action.

It had only an instant’s warning as the second
energy signal flared. The transport signal cut out instantly as the new wave
form spread out, engulfing the building at the speed of light, leaving no time
to react.

End Sample

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